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When the inkjet printer you rely on suddenly stops printing, you may lose time and money as business comes to a standstill. Understanding the potential culprits behind the problem may help to expedite the troubleshooting process, allowing you to resolve the problem and get back to business. The most common culprits include printer hardware trouble, software driver issues and connectivity failure, all of which can prevent your inkjet printer from printing properly.

Cartridges

Trouble with the ink cartridges often results in the printing of blank, blurry or too light documents. If you know that the cartridges aren’t empty, then running your printer’s print head utility may resolve the problem. Refer to your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how to perform the print head cleaning for your specific model printer. However, if you haven’t used the printer in a while, the ink inside the cartridges may have dried out, so replace the cartridges to resolve the problem.

Drivers

All printers rely on software to communicate with your computer. Corrupted, outdated or incompatible print driver software may prevent this communication, which can keep the printer from printing pending documents. If you've recently updated the operating system on your computer, you may need to update your printer software, too. Similarly, if something corrupts the print software installed on your computer, you may need to reinstall the software to resolve the problem. You can download the latest version of your printer’s software directly from the manufacturer’s website.

Connectivity

Many businesses network a printer so that all connected computers can utilize the device. Often, this includes connecting the printer to a specific computer or network device, and then sharing the printer across the network. If someone turns off this computer or network device, the printer becomes inaccessible. This issue is easy to resolve -- just turn the computer or network device on again.

Paper Jam

A paper jam within the printer can often prevent the device from printing. Even small bits of paper may keep documents from printing properly. Clearing the jam by removing all trapped paper from the rollers may restore printing. Leaving any part of the paper jam behind, however, including tiny bits of paper, can result in recurrent jams and continued print failure.

Hardware

If all other troubleshooting methods have failed, the problem may lie with the printer hardware. Depending on the age of your printer, the factory warranty may cover the costs associated with the repair or replacement of the device. If the warranty no longer covers the device, compare the cost of repairing the printer to the cost of purchasing a new printer.

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About the Author

Mindi Orth began writing in 1996 as a technical writer for a consulting firm. She has experience in business documentation and has authored training and instructional materials. Orth holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Baldwin-Wallace College.

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Orth, Mindi. "What Is the Problem When Inkjet Printers Stop Printing?" Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/problem-inkjet-printers-stop-printing-57831.html. Accessed 18 December 2018.

Orth, Mindi. (n.d.). What Is the Problem When Inkjet Printers Stop Printing? Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/problem-inkjet-printers-stop-printing-57831.html